Beef and Ale Stew
Description
Beef and Ale Stew - Authentic recipe from Great Britain. Ready in 140 min. Try it now!
Directions
✓ researched- 1
Cut 600 g beef (braising cut) into pieces, dredge in flour and sear over high heat. Add 150 g onion and 150 g carrot. Pour in 500 ml beer (ale/stout) and 300 ml beef stock.
⏱️ approx. 12 min💡 Tip: Beef and Ale Stew is a classic British beer braise — beef slow-cooked in dark beer (ale/stout), hearty and deeply flavoured. Tender, savoury and malty. A warming British comfort food and pub classic (the beer adds depth).
- 2
Season (thyme, bay leaf, a dash of Worcestershire sauce). Cover and braise slowly.
⏱️ approx. 12 min💡 Tip: Beef and Ale Stew is a British braise — braising beef (dredged in flour, which binds the sauce) slow-cooked at length in dark beer (ale/stout) and stock, with onions, carrots and thyme. The beer gives a deep, malty-bitter, slightly sweet aroma (the alcohol cooks off). Tender, hearty and warming. A pub and comfort food classic (often used as a filling for Steak and Ale Pie). Satisfying.
- 3
Braise covered for 2–2½ hours until the beef is meltingly tender and the sauce is rich and malty. Adjust seasoning.
⏱️ approx. 12 min💡 Tip: Beef and Ale Stew is served hot with mashed potatoes, dumplings or crusty bread — the meltingly tender beef in a rich, malty-savoury beer sauce. Warming and hearty. A classic British pub and comfort food dish.
📜 Origin & History
Beef and Ale Stew (English: Beef-Ale Stew) is a British beef stew: beef (chuck or brisket) is slowly braised with onions, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, and a dark British ale (e.g., London Porter or Yorkshire Ale) until tender and aromatic. Beef and Ale Stew is the English counterpart to Belgian Carbonnade Flamande: in both dishes, beef is braised in beer; the British ale gives the stew a malty, hoppy note. England has a brewing tradition spanning over 2,000 years: the Romans brewed ale in Eboracum (York); medieval monasteries brewed ale as a staple for monks. Dark ales (Porter, Stout) produce a darker, more intense sauce than pale ales; Guinness Stout is often used as the Irish variant. Beef Stew is a classic British autumn and winter dish; it is served with Mash (mashed potatoes), Crusty Bread, or Dumplings. In Germany, all ingredients are available; dark beer is a good ale substitute.
🌿 Regional variants
As a pie
Baked in puff pastry — Steak and Ale Pie.
With dumplings
With suet dumplings on top — even more filling.
🍷 What goes with it?
Serve hot with mashed potatoes, dumplings or bread. Meltingly tender and malty-savoury. Warming. Classic British pub and comfort food.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Beef and Ale Stew?
Beef and Ale Stew is a classic British braise — beef slow-cooked at length in dark beer (ale/stout) and stock, with root vegetables and herbs. The beer gives a deep, malty-bitter, slightly sweet aroma. Tender, hearty and warming. A pub and comfort food classic (the filling is also used for Steak and Ale Pie). Down-to-earth and satisfying.
Which beer should I use?
A dark, malty ale or stout (e.g. an English brown ale, bitter or a Guinness-style stout) — it gives the sauce depth, malty sweetness and a slightly bitter note. Avoid pale lager (too mild). The alcohol cooks off during the long braise, leaving the flavour behind. Malty and full-bodied.
How do I get the beef meltingly tender?
Use braising beef (with connective tissue), dredge in flour (binds the sauce and aids browning), sear well and braise LOW AND SLOW for a long time (2–2½ hours) — this breaks down the collagen and makes the meat meltingly tender and the sauce silky. Use enough liquid (beer + stock). Patience is key. Tender and hearty.
Reviews
No reviews yetLogin to rate
LoginAll Reviews
Ingredients
verified- Beef600 g
- Beer500 ml
- Carrot150 g
- Onion150 g
- Beef broth300 ml
